Raw-water ice-making system



Aug.r 21, 1928.

1,681,190 J. A. MARTOCELLO I RAW WATER ICE MAKING SYSTEM Filed Sept {1. 1922 2 Sheets5 heet 1 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. A. MARTocELLo RAW WATER ICE MAKING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 1.

Aug. 21, 1928.

Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

N "S T A 2P A -T OfF Fl E JOSEPH A. MABTOCELLO, 'OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAW- WATER ICE-MAKING S YSTEM.

My invention "relates 'to devices used for making ice in cans.

The purpose of my invention is to provide an air agitating system for cans having 'fi agreater capacityfor circulation within the cans. A further purpose is to insure vertical alignment of air tubes within the can notwithstanding deviations of the tops of the lotubes from vertical position because of improperplacingof the bracket, air lateral or other tubesupport.

.A fllIfthGI'PtlIPOSGlS to obtain a maximum ,benefit from air discharged at a point above the bottom of the tube.

Further purposes will appear in the specification-and in the claims.

I have preferred to illustrate my invention by selecting a type of apparatus which has proved to be practical, eflicient and inexpensive and which at the same time well illustrates the principles of my invent1on.

Figure .1 is :a top plan view showing several .ice cans to WhlCh ,my invention is applied land in which theair tubes are sup- ;ported by brackets.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken upon line 2+2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a vertical section showing the air tubes as depending from air laterals.

Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sec- .tion partly in elevation of tube and-its immediate connections illustrating my invention.

Figure 5 is a side elevation showing a modified dorm of flexible support for the tube.

Figu

re '6 is a broken vertical section through a lateral, connection, and tube such:

as appear in Figure 3.

Figure 7 's a broken side elevation of the lower part of an air tube.

In the drawings similar numerals indicate like parts.

In the freezing of ice in cans I have found it to be of "great advantage to place the tube from which the agitating air is discharged vertically as distinguished from slo ing it appreciably with respect to vertica position.

It is desirable also to discharge a small quantity of air from the side of the air tube so that when the bottom of the tube is frozen in, this side discharge will still keep the 55 water in circulation. I have found that this side discharge from a vertical tube may be lppllcation filed September 1,1922. Serial no. 585,604. a

..made more .eflectivefor stirringpurposes if the air be discharged at a downward slant. My invention has been made with a view to-taking care of these two features tube position .and air discharge.

In Figures .1 and 2 I have illustrated a conventionalarrangement of ice cans shown v.at 1.0"with respect to air laterals 11, flexible connecting pipes 12 and nozzles 13 in fluid communication with the upper ends 14 of distributing air pipes or tubes. The tubes are supported in this view from the side walls of the .cans by brackets-15 -whichinay salt the :angle of the tube within the can is altered with .every shift in angle of the support. -Where a bracket, .for. example, is

used and the thickness of the canlside is not the .same as that forwhich the bracket has been intended, the free end of the bracket will be lifted in the :case of a;=thicker wall and will be lowered in the caseofza thinner wall, with consequent variation in wthe position of the air-agitationpipe from the .vertical osit ion which I regard as highly desira le.

I prefer to use a bracket support and to secure the upper pipeterminal rigidly in the bracket as the clamp 18 engaging the upper endof ,t e pipe upon which the receiving device for the thawing needle is mounted,- illustrating a construction iof bracket .and 1a mount for the upper end of a the pipesubstantially the same as shown in my. application for Air pipe support .ifor freezingsystems, Serial No. 526,460, :filed January 2,1922. I-Iowevenlrecogriize that my invention is of advanta ewithany other form of fthisstructure w "ich would give variant angular position to the air pipe with difiering conditions met with inservice and illustrate in Figure 3 another form of support for the tube to emphasize this.

In order to overcome the objectionable cant which these and other varying service conditions may thus give to the air-agitating pipe, I support the major portion of the length of the pipe or all of the pipe upon a flexible connection 19 which is shown in Figures 2 and 4 as comprising a rubber coupling 20. It couples the lower end of the upper pipe section to the upper end of the tube 21, or to a support for the tube, using the flexibility of this coupling to hang the tube or the lower tube section in a vertical position.

In Figure 5 an alternative construction is shown in the form of a metallic flexible connection 22 secured to the lower end of the upper section and supporting the lower section 21. This metallic coupling may be soldered to the pipe ends if desired. Y The coupling which I show may be located above the water and ice level in the can but 011 account of its use where it is likely to get wet it should be capable of resisting water in any event. It must also. of course, retain the agitating air to avoid waste of air and also to maintain the air pressure for agitation.

In Figure 3 the tubes are connected directly with the air lateral through a fitting 23, screwed into the lateral against a soft or shaped washer 24 and terminating within the lateral in a reducing intake 25.

The tube 21 is suspended beneath this fitting 23 by a flexible coupling engaging the lower part of the fitting at 26 and the upper end 27 of a nozzle 13 adapted to fit within a tube terminal 17 suitable for receiving a thawing needle and to which the tube 21 is attached. The tube 21 may enter the coupling directly if desired omitting the nozzle and the fitting 17.

The thawing needle terminal is accessible upon withdrawal of the nozzle, when the tube 21 has been frozen in.

In either form the flexible mounting of the tube permits the tube to assume a vertical position notwithstanding change in the direction of the tube section. fitting or other part from which it hangs.

In the side of the air tube 21 well above the bottom I provide an aperture small enough not to unduly reduce the pressure so as not to interfere appreciably with the discharge of air through the bottom of the tube. but capable of delivering sufiicient air for stirring purposes when the air no longer finds outlet through the bottom of the pipe. It may be smaller than the reducing intake. When the water surrounding the bottom of the tube is frozen this side outlet 28 becomes effective at an increased pressure to maintain the stirring in the comparatively small space about the tube where the water is not yet frozen. I secure maximum results in stirring by this side air outlet by forming it at an angle downward, so that the velocity of the air will cause the bubbles of air discharged to free from the tube wall and to extend as far outwardly from the tube as possible with the existing air pressure. The downward and outward slope given the discharging air insures a maximum range for the air before it starts to rise through the water.

The discharge opening at the side is made small enough so that the leakage is not great during the time air is coming out oi the lower end of the tube. As soon as air ceases to flow from the lower end of the tube the pressure of the air within the tube (which up to that time has never exceeded that necessary to overcome the weight of the water above the end of the tube) rises and if the side discharge outlet be smaller than the reducing valve or intake used (as I prefer) may become equal to that in the air lateral.

As a result the air is discharged from the side outlet at a velocity great enough to free the bubbles well from the sides of the tube and to give good circulation adjacent to the tube.

It will be obvious that in view of my disclosure herein others skilled in the art will see modifications and variations of my invention by which a large part or all of its advantage of my structure may be obtained without copying it and it is my purpose to include herein all such changes as come within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Lettcrs Patent is:-

1. In a raw water system, a can. and an air pipe extending down into the can and having a bottom opening and aperturcd at the side extending diagonally downward from the inside of the pipe.

2. In a raw water system, a can, an air sup iily having a reducing section therein and an air pipe extending down into the can, open at the bottom and having a side opening smaller than the open ng in the reducing section.

JOSEPH A. MARTOCELLO.

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